Side Hustle Ideas UK
The word ‘side hustle’ is growing in popularity. I hear it often on TV channels. Or maybe, that’s the word ‘hustle’ in general.
Maybe even more so, I’m just too British, haha!
Anyhooo….
With modern technology (aka the web) it’s now ever more possible to start a side hustle.
What is a side hustle, you ask?
Read on, my friend!
What is a Side Hustle?
A side hustle is any form of paid work or income that you do ‘on the side’ of your main job or daily life.
It could be a business you start from scratch, or a business you’ve been running for a while, and you change what you’re doing with it – or you incorporate it on the side of your business.
Side hustles are popular for women who stay home looking after their kids, particularly if there’s only one salary in the house.
They’re also popular for part time workers, and full time workers with a passion for earning extra cash.
A side hustle can be purely for money, but many people start side hustles as a form of personal satisfaction too.
Yes!
Side hustles can be a great move for an ambitious woman, allowing her to flex her creativity and earn money from what she does best.
For instance, are you a good reader? Could you do freelance proofreading for someone?
Are you a good photographer? A good cook? Good at design? Are you good at social media?
(And don’t give me any bulls*it that you’re not good at anything. Think outside the box!)
In short, anything you’re good at – you can do for someone else – and get paid for it.
This blog you’re reading right now is my ‘side hustle’. It’s not my main income, but it ticks along and I love writing it.
Maybe you know people who’ve started side hustle’s that allow them to earn money from home too?
Which Side Hustle?
If the idea of a side hustle interests you, then great! I’ll share my best tips below for side hustles here in the UK.
Obviously, there’s tons to consider when starting a side hustle.
Let’s start with two key questions:
What are you good at?
What do you enjoy doing?
These two questions are key to starting a successful side hustle. By successful, I mean, one that’ll earn money and keep you engaged.
If you can answer both of these questions, then you’re onto something good.
Top Side Hustle Ideas UK
1. Blogging
“But blogging’s dead” I hear you cry!
Nah ah. Not so. In fact, you’re lucky, as the UK has one of the highest numbers of readers of any country.
Blogging is still popular! If you know what you’re doing.
You could start a blog on any topic you like, but my best advice is: RESEARCH it first.
Do your research before you start blogging. Look at what’s popular right now and what’s been popular over the years?
Make sure what you blog about is a topic you love too – else you’ll quickly get bored and that blog content will be wasted in the eternal sea of websites on the internet.
2. Affiliate Marketing
With this, you promote other people’s products and earn commissions for doing so at no extra cost to the purchaser. This is one of many ways to monetise a blog post. You simply insert a link with your referral ID and boom! You earn commission.
We (my husband and I) earned well over a month’s wages simply by affiliate marketing in 2020/2021. The thing is, you need to be consistent with it, and it’s certainly not quick nor guaranteed money. But it’s a great side hustle idea!
3. Freelancing
Check out websites such as Upwork.com and Fiverr.com and see what options there are for freelancers – to give you an idea whether your idea for a side hustle is legit.
You can be a freelancer at anything!
For example, I’m currently freelance as a writer as my main source of income. I ghostwrite for several publications (meaning I don’t put my name to the piece of work). I also write this blog you’re reading now, and my other blog Mamas Find Your Voice.
My main vocation is copywriting (writing for sales/advertising). Check me out on LinkedIn for sales tips in the future!
4. Teach English
If you’re a native English speaker (or fluent in it), you could take a TEFL or TESOL course and teach English in your free time.
The options are endless with a qualification like this – you could run web classes online, teach groups or check out local services near you if there’s a language school close by.
5. Coaching
Have you considered coaching before? It’s predicted to be one of the most popular careers in the next few years. If you’ve got an eye for working with people and help them become the best version of themselves, being a coach is a great idea.
And you can coach as a side hustle!
Say if you work 9-5, you’ve got evenings spare, why not coach online? Or in the local sports hall as an idea? You could even coach 1-1 in a coffee shop. The opportunities are endless – just make sure you do some proper training and get accredited and insured to coach.
6. Rent a room in your home
The idea may make your skin crawl, but if you’ve got the space, why not? You could earn anything from £150-£500+, depending on where you live and how big the space is – renting out accommodation. Whether it’s to students or businessmen who need a room for a week. It all adds up.
7. Dog walking
This is getting popular, so why not keep it local and cover a certain close by radius to offset your travel costs? Dog walking is great for your health and wellbeing, and great for meeting locals! I have no idea what the ‘rules and regs’ are, so make sure you do your research first.
8. Create your own products
Seriously, there’s no limit to this! Whether you create digital products, home crafts, cards, key rings, knitwear, grow flowers, or vegetables, the options are unlimited as to what you could sell. And nowadays there are heaps of online platforms you can sell your wares from, such as Etsy and Shopify.
9. Online surveys
Another great way to earn quick cash is to fill in online surveys. This site explains it.
10. Private tutor/teacher
Depending on your skills, you could set yourself up as a tutor.
The possibilities now with online calls (Zoom/Google meet etc) is that you could have clients all over the world.
When I was coaching last year, I had clients in the USA, New Zealand and Europe! The web makes this possible, so why not check in with yourself and see what you could offer?
Side Hustle Ideas Uk – Helpful Tips
To succeed in your side hustle, start from a realistic place.
It’s very easy to get carried away in the ‘excitement’ and let your head float into the clouds.
Then, before you know it, you’ve spent a ton of money on training and resources, with no clue how to make that money back and earn income on top.
Take my advice (as some who’s been and done it) and weigh up your side hustle idea with reality.
What are your priorities?
How much time could you dedicate to setting up and executing on your side hustle?
Could you do this long term?
Are you willing to work hard to get your side hustle to work properly?
Is it a job?
I would say anything over 2 hours a night is not a side hustle. It’s a job! So be cautious what you commit to, and make sure you can realistically do it.
Also! Don’t expect it to be easy.
Setting up anything is hard work.
Creating something from scratch takes guts and stepping out of your comfort zone. And it also takes commitment.
If you’re after quick money, don’t set up a side hustle. Get a job. Really. I mean that.
I’ve been working on businesses since the birth of our first born 3 years ago, and it’s slow going. You need to stick with it and commit.
It’s hard work too, and emotionally draining. You’re either all in, or out.
Lastly, plan! Summing up your life and having a successful career and family life can be darn hard.
When you’re new to any kind of paid work or side hustle, it can be tricky to figure out what you should do, and how you can do it all.
Planning Is Key
1. Make a plan
If you have a clear idea of what you want to do and where you want to go, you can work towards that.
And if you don’t have a clear idea, that’s okay. Just take the first step, which is RESEARCH it. Brainstorm some ideas!
2. Start small
Don’t try to do everything at once. Start small and work on one task at a time. You can always expand later on.
3. Ask for help
When you are new, you may feel overwhelmed by all the information you have to absorb. Ask for help.
4. Ask questions
You’re bound to have lots of questions. Questions about the type of hustle you want to be doing, how you can get it, and what skills you need.
There’s no shame in asking for help. It’s how you get started and what you learn along the way. So ask away!
I hope this post has inspired you to start a side hustle if you want to. Do pop a comment below on this post with your questions, and I’ll happily respond!
If you loved this post, I reckon you’ll enjoy this one even more.
Leave a Reply